Dubai The unstoppable Ryan Moore snatched a fourth Group 1 victory of the week as Godolphin deservedly helped themselves to a piece of the pie at Newmarket’s Dubai Future Champions Festival.
Moore added to his outstanding victories in the Sun Chariot Stakes, Arc de Triomphe and Dubai Fillies’ Mile on Friday, when displaying extraordinary riding skills aboard the Irish-trained Churchill to win a fiercely contested renewal of the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, Britain’s most prestigious and valuable juvenile contest.
William Buick threw down a serious challenge in the final furlong aboard Godolphin’s Blue Point but Moore’s Churchill, like the battle hardened general who is named after, was too strong and pulled away for an impressive victory.
Blue Point, trained by Charlie Appleby, held on for third while Saeed Bin Surour’s Thunder Snow ran a brave race to finish fourth.
Moore told Racing UK: “He was always going to win. He’s a very, very good colt. It wasn’t as evenly-run as it should have been, but this lad has got an awful lot in his favour.
“There’s not a lot he can’t do. When I ask him, he always finds. He’s definitely a Guineas horse. I think he’ll get better.”
Earlier jockey William Carson rode the biggest winner of his career as Bin Surour’s Best Solution landed the Dubai 100 Autumn Stakes in the famous royal blue Godolphin silks.
“It’s great to day to do it — he’s a horse that Saeed has thought a lot of and today he was impressive,” said Godolphin racing manager John Ferguson. “He’s seen out the race really, really well and he was strong at the finish, which bodes well for the future.”
Carson added: “It’s nice to be given these opportunities. He stayed on very well. They were always adamant that he’d stay the mile. The ground was perfect for him and he can only progress.”
Zainhom, racing in the colours of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, was a respectable second in the hands of Paul Hanagan.
Angus Gold, Shaikh Hamdan’s racing manager said: “To be honest, I’m pleasantly surprised — I thought he ran a lovely race.
“He has a tendency to be a little bit keen and being drawn out wide, we ended up getting shuffled back, but he came through his rivals well.
“It looked like he was unbalanced in the dip. He’s a big, heavy horse and this is not necessarily the most likely track for him.
“He’s done it the right way on only his third run.”
In another good result for a Dubai owner the rapidly improving Island Vision landed the Nursery Handicap for Shaikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum.
